Rilke's "Book of Hours": Poems of Love and Devotion to the Divine

Shardajo: The writing is exceptional. Having the German, which I don't speak, alongside the English translation is helpful because I can recognize particular word choices and his phrasing. The themes are rather self-indulgent and self-preoccupied and, we're it not for his excellent turn of phrase, would be repetitive. I would challenge his choice of title.

Canada on Nov 30, 2023

Donna Morrison: Personal use and sharing poetry with friends

United States on Aug 30, 2023

Gisela: An incredible book with beautiful poems that are a balm to the soul. I am especially pleased that the poems are written in the original German and then translated into English on the opposite page. The excerpt made it look as if only part of the original German was in the book.

Canada on Jan 30, 2023

Alison: This collection is masterfully interpreted, and includes the original German. It's Rilke- the man was a master. Even the cover and the raw edge paper is beautiful. Can't recommend this highly enough.

United States on Dec 15, 2022

Amazon Customer: The Book of Hours is Rilke’s best work by far. It captures the essential spirt of what matters most in a fulfilling and meaningful life. It’s frighteningly relevant for today’s confused society. Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy have masterfully translated the original German text. Their prefaces, introduction and notes are very helpful especially for those less familiar with Rilke. Cheers.

United States on Sep 29, 2021

Amazon Customer: This is the best translation of Rilke's Book of Hours and the poems themselves are beautiful.

India on Aug 28, 2018

Stephen: My brief aquaintance with other translations of this work leads me to conclude that they are very flat compared with this one which brings to life Rilke’s images in beautiful spititually insightful poetry. This edition has German on left page and English on right (not that the German is much use to me!)

United Kingdom on Mar 15, 2018

Geraldine Flannery: A beautiful book and thanks so much to Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy for the work they did in making this wonderful poetry available to us mere English speaking people.

United Kingdom on Jul 10, 2015

GMWills: Translation is always a difficult craft. In many places throughout this book it is clear the translators struggled - hurdles they in part admit in the introduction. For those of us who do not have a head for languages, it would be almost impossible to refer to the original German text. Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy have produced an excellent rendering of one of the world's greatest classical spiritual poets. I found the titles in German irritating without their own line of translation, but, I am reliably informed by an English/German scholar that the English translations of the verses are more than good. Rilke has a breathtaking approach to God - a deeply spiritual intimacy - through poems that are essentially prayers, but prayers that certainly don't conform to any 'normal' liturgy. Reading more than one a day would be too much for me. Reader be warned - the maturity of these prayer/poems can be deeply moving to the soul.
(Br Graham-Michael)

United States on Dec 15, 2009

Tascha Dresser: I am a poet myself and have found This collection of poems by Rilke beautiful, inspiring and thought provoking. A few years ago when i was first introduced to this book I was so taken by it that I bought paper back copies of it as a gift to a special education class i was trying to help in some way, plus I have found that Much of my own work today has been strongly influneced bY This edition of Rilke's book oF hours. It is the only edition I know about. As a poet I can say that it is not always neccessary to conform to ryhme and meter in a poem for it to be good. Rhyme and meter are generally forgotten by the reader while the images and emotions that are provoked can stay with a person for years.In these poems considered as private prayers by the author as well as in other translations of different work by Rilke the language just flows and is beautiful. It touches and speaks to us about the internal questions all human beings have about creation and existence. one need not be religious to love these poems and even a atheist would love them.When You consider poetry a verbal expression of emotions ,thoughts and experineces and not just a intellectual exersize and if you love...

United States on Jun 28, 2000